Spool-crate.



W. SHAHPE.

SPOOL CRATE.

APPLICATION FILED AUGJO. 19x5.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

WALTER SHARPE, 0F PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

SPOOL-CRATE.

Application filed August 20, 1915.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WALTER SHARPE, a citizenof the United States, residing at Providence, in the county ofProvidence and State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Spool- Crates; and I do hereby declare thefollowing to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention,such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains tomake and use the same.

This invention relates to spool crates, do signed for holding aplurality of spools for shipment and one of the principal objects of theinvention is to provide a crate which will give access to the spools bymerely swinging the covers upon their hinges and permitting the spoolsto be lifted out and to be replaced by empty spools when desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a spool crate of simpleconstruction which will save time and labor in packing the spools in thecrate and in removing them from the crate.

The crates in common use are nailed together and the parts must bepractically destroyed in gaining access to the interior of the crate forremoving the spools, and the principal object of this invention is toprovide a crate which will be simple in construction and which willrequire but little labor in removing the spools therefrom and replacingthe spools by empty ones for reshipment.

With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in theconstruction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing,wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a spool crate constructed inaccordance with myinvention, and Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on thevertical plane indicated by the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters, 1 designates thelongitudinal members and 2 and 2 the transverse members of the base ofthe crate. The longitudinal members are relatively spaced, and they aresecured at their ends to the upper sides of the transverse members 2 and2 which latter members are also relatively spaced. The top of the cratecomprises relatively spaced longitudinal members 3, and the relativelyspaced transverse members 1 and 1 Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 19, 1916.

Serial No. 46,570.

the transverse members being secured to the upper sides of thelongitudinal members. Each side of the crate consists of the verticalend rods 5, the vertical intermediate rods 5 and the horizontal rods 8.The lower ends of the corner rods 5 pass downwardly through the members1, 2 and 2 and the lower ends of the intermediate rods 5 pass downwardlythrough the members 1. The rods 5 and 5 are secured firmly to the baseby means of nuts 6 and 6 which are threadedly mount-ed upon the rod, andwhich engage the upper and lower sides of the base, respectively.Mounted upon the rods 5 and 5 between the nuts 6 and 6 are sleeves 6.These sleeves strengthen and reinforce the walls of the openings in thebase through which the lower ends of the rods 5 and 5 pass, and in viewthereof, prevent any lateral strain or stress upon the rods fromsplitting the base at the openings. In order to allow the sleeves 6 tohave a limited lateral movement within the openings of the base, thediameter of the sleeves 6 is slightly smaller than the diameter of theopenings. This movement of the sleeves 6 also assists in preventing thesplitting of the base at the openings, when lateral strain or stress isplaced upon the rods 5 and 5 by the spools. The horizontal rods 8, eachcomprise a plurality of sections, which are secured to the intermediaterods 5 and 5 by couplings 7 and to the end rods 5 by couplings 9. Therear end of the crate comprises the rear end bars 5 and a centralvertical bar 10. This end also comprises a horizontal rod 10, whichconsists of two sections connected to the rear end rods 5 by thecouplings 9 and to the rod 10 by the coupling 10*. At their upper endsthe rear end rods 5 and the rod 10 are provided with bearings caps 10which rotatably carry a pintle bar 11. The cover is pivoted at its rearend to the pintle bar 11 by means of hinges 12. To receive the upperends of the rods 5 and 5 when in closed position, the cover is providedwith a plurality of openings 12*.

The front of the casing comprises the front end bars 5 and the centralpivoted rod 13. The rod 13 is pivoted at its lower end to a pintle bar13 which is located in grooves 13* formed in the opposing sides of themembers 1 and 2 and which passes through the lower ends of the frontcorner rods 5 and the sleeves 6 carried by the rods. The pintle bar 13is located in a plane below the rod 18 when the cover and rod are inclosed position. At its front end the cover is provided with a latchhook 14 by means of which the recess 14 is closed when the cover is inclosed position, preventing the rod 13 from being accidentally movedinto opened position. To hold the rod 13 against accidental movementwhen it is in closed position, the upper end of the rod is provided withan arm 14" which has a down-turned end 14 for engagement with the latchhook 1 L. When it is desired to place spools in or remove them from thecrate, the cover and the rod 13 are first swung into opened position.The spools may be then readilyplaced within or removed from the crateeither through the top or front end thereof. The crate shown in thedrawing is designed to receive six spools, although it may be made toreceive as many spools as desired. When the spools are in the crate theyare mounted upon spindles, not shown, and the ends of the spindles arereceived by openings 17 in the base and openings 17 in the cover of thecrate. After the spools have been placed in the crate, the cover isfirst moved into closed position, and then the rod 13 is moved intoclosed position, after which the latch hook 14: is swung to close therecess 14 and swung into engagement with the hook 14 of the arm 14?. Thecover is provided with a label holder 15, and it being understood thatthe longitudinal and transverse members are formed of wood and that therods and bars are of metal.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in theclaims.

WVhat is claimed is 1. A spool crate comprising a base, vertical rodsconnected to the base and forming the sides and rear of the crate, locknuts securing said rods to said base, horizontal rods connected to thevertical rods by couplings intermediate the ends thereof, a pintle barrotatably mounted in the upper ends of the rear rods, a cover having oneend hinged to the pintle bar, a second pintle bar in the forward end ofthe base, a front rod having its lower end connected to the said pintlebar, means carried by the cover and cooperating with the front rod tohold the same closed.

2. A spool crate comprising a base formed of longitudinally andtransversely extending members, vertical rods connected to the base bylock nuts forming the rear and sides of the same, four-way couplingsconnected to the vertical rods intermediate the ends thereof, horizontalrods connected to the vertical rods by said'couplings, a pintle barjournaled in the upper ends of the rear rods, a cover hinged to thepintle bar, a second pintle bar secured to the forward end of the base,a rod pivoted centrally to said pintle bar, and means to hold saidcoverconnected to the upper end of the pivoted rod.

3. A spool crate comprising a baseconsisting of two longitudinallyextending members connected by transversely extending cross members,vertical rods connected to the base forming the sides and rear of thecrate, saidvertical rods connected to the base by lock nuts, horizontalrods connected to the vertical rods intermediate their ends, a

pintle bar in the upper ends of the rear rods,

a cover hingedly secured to the pintle bar,

a second pintle bar secured transversely across the forward end of thebase, a pivoted rod connected centrally to the second pintle bar, andmeans carried by the cover cooperating with the pivoted rod forremovably securing the cover closed.-

4. A crate comprising a base consisting of a pair of longitudinallyextendin members having secured on their under face trans vcrselyextending cross members, a plurality of vertical rods secured to saidbase forming the sides and rear of the crate, a pintle bar securedto thebase-at its forward end at a point below the plane of its upper surfacethereof, a front end rod pivotally se cured at its lower end to thecentral portion of the pintle bar, a second pintle bar secured to theupper ends of therear rod, a cover hingedly secured to the second pintlebar, and means for securing the coverto'the upper end of the frontrod. lI

5. A spool crate comprisin a base having openings, sleeves mountedwithin the openings, said sleeves being smaller in diameter than theopenings,'side and rear end rods having their lower ends positioned inthe sleeves, retaining means carried by the rods and engaging the base,a cover pivotally secured to certain of said rods,a front end rodpivotally secured to the base and means for securing the cover and frontend rod in closed position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER snnnrn.

Witnesses:

GEORGE J. DoRsEY, CHARLES D. JOHNSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

